William Bell writes Jeff Sessions, Donald Trump for Larry Langford’s early release
Birmginham Mayor William Bell has submitted a letter for early release for former mayor Larry Langford. The letter, submitted to President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Thursday asks for compassionate release from federal prison due to his chronic health issues. Langford is serving time following his 2009 conviction for bribery where he took an estimated $235,000 from an investment banker while he serving as Jefferson County commissioner in return for millions of bond work. He and Bell have been friends since childhood, where they played Little League together. Both went on to attend UAB. “We’ve been friends through the years,” said Bell. “But this has nothing to do with friendship.” According to the letter, Langford, who is 70 years old, has served over 50 percent of his 157 month and 26 day sentence. Bell says Langford has several chronic health issues and deserves to come home to be in the care of his family and loved ones. “The idea of a compassionate release was established for this reason,” said Bell in the letter. “I ask that you please seriously consider Mayor Langford’s release at this time and allow him the privilege of spending time in the care of his family and loved ones.” Bell previously made the same request of President Barack Obama in November 2016. Read the full letter below:
Martha Roby: House takes steps to secure the southern border
Immigration was one of the most hotly debated issues during the last presidential election, so it’s no surprise that there continue to be significant developments on these policies. I wanted to provide an update and share some of the progress we’ve made in the House to change the course of our nation’s illegal immigration problem. As you probably know, the Trump Administration recently announced that it would end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. President Barack Obama established DACA in 2012 to allow undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children to avoid deportation and obtain renewable work authorization. Since then as many as 800,000 individuals have been accepted into DACA. Whether you agree or disagree with the intention of the program, DACA was a blatantly unconstitutional abuse of executive power. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is right to phase out this program and allow Congress time to craft the appropriate policy in an orderly and constitutional manner. I believe our immigration policies should discourage illegal entry, not reward it. In addressing this problem, we must also recognize and sympathetic to the fact that these individuals were brought here as children and not of their own accord. This is just one of the many areas of immigration law that needs to be fixed, and I look forward to working with my Judiciary Committee colleagues to craft policies that restore the rule of law and promote America’s economic interests. When it comes to cracking down on illegal immigration, I believe most of us agree that we should start by targeting the dangerous criminals who put Americans at risk. That’s why I was proud to recently vote in favor of H.R. 3697, the Criminal Alien Gang Member Removal Act. This bill will amend the law to finally make a person’s history of involvement in a criminal gang grounds for inadmissibility into this country. This bill would also allow law enforcement agents to automatically detain and deport anyone found to be a criminal alien gang member. You might read this and wonder, “What gang violence?” The most notorious Latin American gang is known as MS-13. It began in the 1980s and has grown to an estimated 8,000 members in the United States. They have a violent history of organized crime in the areas of drug trafficking, kidnapping, human smuggling, sex trafficking, murder, assassinations, blackmail, and extortion. To paint a clear picture of just how violent MS-13 is, their motto is “Mata, Roba, Viola, Controla,” which translates to “Kill, Steal, Rape, Control.” If that isn’t enough to demonstrate the serious threat these individuals pose, MS-13 has been responsible for eight brutal murders in Northern Virginia alone just since last November. Our bill makes it crystal clear that criminal alien gang members are not welcome in this country, and if they should find themselves here, we are dedicated to getting them off the street. Also on the immigration front, the House took action to put a “down payment” on construction of a border wall. Our government-wide appropriations bill, the Make America Prosperous and Secure Appropriations Act, contains $1.6 billion for construction and security upgrades at the southern border. It is Congress’ responsibility to budget for national priorities, and securing the border is a top priority. We need bigger, stronger, and smarter barriers along our southern border, and that’s why our bill funds this down payment to begin construction. Immigration is a sensitive issue that many people on both sides of the argument have strong feelings about. There are no easy fixes, but I believe most Americans are ready for a sensible immigration system that promotes public safety, fairness, and economic growth. As a member of the Judiciary Committee, I will remain actively involved in this issue and I am optimistic we can continue to make real progress. ••• Martha Roby represents Alabama’s Second Congressional District. She lives in Montgomery, Alabama with her husband Riley and their two children.
Alabama’s August unemployment rate falls to 4.2%
Alabama’s unemployment rate has dropped below the national average for the first time since October 2013. Governor Kay Ivey‘s office said Friday the seasonally adjusted jobless rate for August was 4.2 percent, down from the July rate of 4.5 percent. “After hovering near the national unemployment rate for several months, Alabama’s rate has dropped below it for the first time in many years,” Ivey said. “This is a milestone we’ve been working toward for some time. We announced this week that Autocar, LLC. is opening a new plant in Birmingham, bringing nearly 750 new jobs. As we continue to recruit new businesses to Alabama, hopefully, we’ll be able to maintain that achievement in the months to come.” August’s rate represents 90,913 unemployed persons, compared to 96,158 in July. The last time the number of unemployed was at or below 90,913 was in August 2007, when it measured 89,206. And 2,057,109 were counted as employed, compared to 2,063,900 in July. “In August, we had the lowest number of unemployed in a decade,” added Secretary of Labor Fitzgerald Washington. “We continue to see increases in the number of jobs our economy is supporting, almost doubling economists’ projected job gains for the entire year within the first eight months.” All counties, major cities, and metropolitan statistical areas experienced drops in their unemployment rates, both over the year and over the month. Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are: Shelby County at 3.2% Cullman County at 3.6% Elmore, Madison, and Marshall Counties at 3.7% Counties with the highest unemployment rates are: Wilcox County at 11.3% Clarke County at 8.6% Greene County at 7.8%. Major cities with the lowest unemployment rates are: Vestavia Hills at 2.8%, Homewood at 2.9% Alabaster at 3.0% Major cities with the highest unemployment rates are: Selma at 8.3% Prichard at 8.0% Bessemer at 5.6%.
Darryl Paulson: Amnesty Don
Amnesty Don. That’s what Steve Bannon and Breitbart News called President Donald Trump after news came out that the president and the Democratic leadership of congress brokered a deal concerning the Dreamers. According to reports, Trump struck a deal with Democratic leader of the Senate Chuck Schumer and Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi. The supposed deal was to grant work visas and a pathway to citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants. Democrats agreed to bolster the number of immigration agents, but refused to support building a wall on the Mexican border. After conservative critics ranging from Laura Ingraham, Ann Coulter, Congressman Steven King and others attacked Trump for striking an amnesty deal with Democrats, Trump denied that any deal had been reached. Immigration policy has always been one of the most divisive issues in America. Much of the early controversy centered around the Irish and German immigrants, both associated with the Catholic Church. The attack on the Irish and German Catholics led to the formation of the “Know-Nothing Party in the 1850s. The party derived its name when members were asked about their beliefs, they were told to respond, “I know nothing.” Founded after the collapse of the Whig Party, the Know-Nothing Party swept Massachusetts elections in 1854. In the 1856 presidential election, their candidate was former Whig president Millard Fillmore, who won 21.5 percent of the vote. The party collapsed after the 1856 elections. Many critics of current anti-immigrants attempt to link their views to the Know-Nothing Party. In a 2006 editorial in The Weekly Standard, editor William Kristol attacked populous Republicans for “turning the GOP into an anti-immigrant, Know-Nothing Party.” In addition to the attacks on the Irish and Germans, later attacks focused on Southern Europeans, Africans and Asians. Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act in the 1880s, which completely stopped the flow of Chinese immigrants. The Simpson-Mazzoli Act of 1986 granted amnesty to illegal workers who resided continuously in the United States since Jan. 1, 1982, and paid a fine and back taxes. It was passed by the Democrat controlled House, the Republican Senate and signed into law by Republican Ronald Reagan. A flood of illegal immigrants since Simpson-Mazzoli has led to more recent efforts to grant permanent status to the most recent wave of illegals. In 2010, Congress considered the Dream Act which would have granted work permits to the children of illegal immigrants and create a pathway to citizenship. Although it passed the Democratic controlled House, the Senate was not able to get the 60 votes needed to stop a Republican filibuster. Because of the failure of Congress to pass the Dream Act, President Obama signed an executive order in 2012 to protect the Dreamers. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), was praised by the Democrats, but attacked by Republicans who argued the president lacked the authority to unilaterally change immigration policy. DACA became a focal point of the 2016 presidential campaign when candidate Donald Trump promised to end DACA on “Day One.” He also promised to build a wall on the Mexican border. Instead of “Day One,” it took Trump eight months to rescind DACA. There are currently four major legislative proposals before Congress to reform immigration. The Dream Act, sponsored by Democrat Dick Simpson of Illinois and Republican Lindsay Graham of South Carolina, would codify DACA, impose educational, work and military requirements and create a path to citizenship after 13 years. Florida Republican Congressman Carlos Curbelo has introduced the Recognizing America’s Children Act. This bill codifies DACA, imposes work and educational requirements, and creates a path to citizenship after 10 years. The American Hope Act sponsored by Democratic Representative Luis Gutierrez of Illinois, has 112 Democratic co-sponsors. There are no work or military requirements and Dreamers may apply for citizenship after five years. Finally, Republican House member Mike Coffman of Colorado has introduced the Bar Removal of Individuals [who] Dream and Grow our Economy (Bridge Act). Coffman is seeking to obtain 218 signatures and force DACA to the floor for a vote. Will President Trump’s negotiations with the Democratic leadership force Republicans to act, or will it alienate them from their president by shutting out Republicans from the negotiations? Will Republican leaders Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan schedule a floor vote on DACA, especially if most Democrats support the bill and most Republicans oppose the bill? Will Democrats offer concessions to the president and Republicans in exchange for supporting DACA? Will Democrats agree to build a birder wall? Will Democrats support E-Verify to enforce immigration law? Will Democrats agree to hire more immigration agents? At this point, there are a lot more questions than there are answers. ••• Darryl Paulson is Emeritus Professor of Government at the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg specializing in Florida politics and elections.
Donald Trump: London bombing is reason to expand US travel ban
President Donald Trump called Friday for a “tougher and more specific” U.S. travel ban after a homemade bomb exploded on a London train. In a flurry of early-morning tweets, Trump called the explosion another attack “by a loser terrorist” and suggested London police missed an opportunity to prevent it. He added that his travel ban targeting six mostly Muslim nations should be “far larger, tougher and more specific – but stupidly, that would not be politically correct!” The bomb exploded on a packed train during rush hour on Friday, leaving at least 22 people injured but no one seriously hurt. Police said the explosion was a terrorist attack, the fifth in Britain this year. “Another attack in London by a loser terrorist,” Trump tweeted. “These are sick and demented people who were in the sights of Scotland Yard. Must be proactive!” Scotland Yard declined comment, but British Prime Minister Theresa May quickly responded, saying: “I never think it’s helpful for anybody to speculate on what is an ongoing investigation.” Trump told reporters Friday morning that he had been briefed on the explosion and said he planned to call May. Asked about his tweet on the travel ban, Trump said “we have to be tougher and we have to be smarter.” Trump’s tough talk came a day after he drew conservative criticism for pursuing an agreement with Democrats on young immigrants who had been living in the country illegally. Trump said Thursday he was “fairly close” to an agreement that could protect these so-called “dreamers” while also adding border security, as long as his wall with Mexico would be separately addressed. The president has repeatedly criticized London Mayor Sadiq Khan, the British capital’s first Muslim leader. In June, after attacks in the London Bridge area that claimed seven lives, Khan warned locals not to be alarmed by the large presence of armed officers on the capital’s streets. Trump accused the mayor on Twitter of suggesting there was “no reason to be alarmed” by the attack itself. On Friday, Trump again jumped into the fray, promoting his handling of extremist militants and saying the government should cut of the internet to such groups. “Loser terrorists must be dealt with in a much tougher manner. The internet is their main recruitment tool which we must cut off & use better!” And he argued that his administration has “made more progress in the last nine months against ISIS than the Obama Administration has made in 8 years.” Trump concluded: “Must be proactive & nasty!” Trump’s travel ban has been ensnared in the courts since Trump’s first attempt to enact the policy in January. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments on Oct. 10 on the legality of the bans on travelers from six mostly Muslim countries and refugees anywhere in the world. It’s unclear, though, what will be left for the court to decide. The 90-day travel ban on visitors from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen lapses in late September, and the 120-day refugee ban will expire a month later. The administration has yet to say whether it will seek to renew the bans, make them permanent or expand the travel ban to other countries. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Donald Trump demands ESPN apologize for anchor’s tweets
President Donald Trump is calling on ESPN to apologize days after one of the sports network’s anchors called him a “white supremacist” and “bigot.” ESPN said Thursday it had accepted the apology of its “SportsCenter” host Jemele Hill for her tweets about Trump Monday. Hill said Thursday she was sorry for causing her employer trouble. ESPN has repeatedly said Hill’s comments don’t reflect the view of the network. But that apparently hasn’t satisfied Trump. He demanded on Twitter early Friday that ESPN “Apologize for untruth!” The president also took a shot at falling ESPN subscriber numbers, writing: “ESPN is paying a really big price for its politics (and bad programming). People are dumping it in RECORD numbers.” The network didn’t immediately issue a response to the president’s comments Friday.
Sarah Palin traveling to Alabama to campaign for Roy Moore in Senate race
Former Alaska Gov. and 2008 GOP Vice-Presidential nominee Sarah Palin is headed to the Yellowhammer State next week to help bring Judge Roy Moore across the finish line in his U.S. Senate bid. Palin announced the visit to Alabama on her website, www.sarahpalin.com. The event will be part of a bus tour hosted by the Great America Alliance, a pro-Trump advocacy group. “Palin plans to barnstorm Alabama the week prior to the special election to double down on her strongly stated support of Judge Moore,” a source familiar with Palin’s planning told Breitbart News. “Gov. Palin is a conservative rock star and her presence in Alabama is sure to seal the deal for Judge Roy Moore,” said a second source familiar with Palin’s plans. Palin endorsed Moore in late August after the race moved to a run-off. “Glad he’s running and am honored to endorse Judge Roy Moore for the US Senate,” Palin said in a statement. “Judge Moore has shown he has what it takes to stand up to the out-of-touch political establishment.” “The Judge has proven he’s not afraid of a fight for what is right, and he’s ready to take on DC’s swamp monsters and make America great again. We need more bold leaders like Judge Moore who will fight for all of us in the US senate,” Palin added. The former Ala. Chief Justice responded to the endorsement by thanking Palin. “I am honored to have the endorsement of Governor Sarah Palin,” said Moore. “Governor Palin has a strong record of speaking out for conservative causes and standing up to the Washington establishment. Having her support shows how conservatives across the country are uniting behind our campaign to send a message to Mitch McConnell and the Washington elites who are trying to buy this election.” Neither the Moore campaign nor Sarah Palin have announced times and dates for the bus tour. Moore faces sitting Sen. Luther Strange in a Republican primary runoff on Sept. 26 to fill the seat previously held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The winner will move on to the Dec.12 general election.
Forest Service spends record $2B battling forest fires
The Forest Service has spent more than $2 billion battling forest fires around the country – a record as wildfires blacken the American West in one of the nation’s worst fire seasons. Wildfires have ravaged the West this summer with 64 large fires burning across 10 states as of Thursday, including 21 fires in Montana and 18 in Oregon. In all, 48,607 wildfires have burned nearly 13,000 square miles (33,586 square kilometers). The fires have stretched firefighting resources, destroyed more than 500 homes and triggered health alerts as choking smoke drifted into major Western cities. The Forest Service, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is the nation’s primary firefighting agency. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said the severe fire season means officials “end up having to hoard all of the money that is intended for fire prevention, because we’re afraid we’re going to need it to actually fight fires.” The emphasis on firefighting means that money for prescribed burns, insect control and other prevention efforts is diverted to putting out fires in what Perdue called a self-defeating cycle. The end result is that small trees and vegetation remain in the forest for future fires to feed on. “That’s wrong, and that’s no way to manage the Forest Service,” Perdue said. The Agriculture Department has been asking Congress for years to change the way firefighting is funded so the Forest Service does not have to raid non-fire programs in bad years. The spending figure announced Thursday marks the first time wildfire spending by the Forest Service has topped $2 billion. The previous record was $1.7 billion in 2015. The figures do not include spending by Interior Department agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service, nor do they include spending by state and local governments. The Interior Department says it has spent at least $391 million with several weeks left in the fire season. The previous record for combined federal firefighting costs was $2.1 billion in 2015. Some previous years have had bigger areas burn but lower costs to fight fires. “The level of continuous activity and the length of the fire season is driving our costs,” Forest Service spokeswoman Babete Anderson said. Parts of the West have suffered through above-average fires for months, she said. This year’s fires have renewed discussions about thinning overgrown forests to reduce the risk. Forest fuels are at “powder keg levels,” said Paul Hessburg Sr., a Forest Service research landscape ecologist. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on Tuesday directed land managers and park superintendents in his department to be more aggressive in cutting down small trees and underbrush. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
